Application deadline EXTENDED to Friday, August 2
June 23, 2019
Media Contacts:
Mark Miller, Administrator, Office of Public Information, 410-313-2022
Yolanda F. Sonnier, Administrator, Office of Human Rights, 410-313-6430
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Human Rights Commission is currently accepting applications for the position of Student Commissioner to serve a one-year term from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 as a non-voting member on the Commission. The deadline for applications has been extended to Friday, August 2, 2019.
“I encourage any eligible student looking to make our community a better place to apply,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “On the Howard County Human Rights Commission, students will have the opportunity to help us seek out and address discrimination in order to make our community a safer and more inclusive place for all. If you aspire to work in the field of human rights someday or just want to help give voice to the voiceless, Howard County calls upon you today.”
To be eligible for consideration, candidates must be a student under the age of 18, a Howard County resident, have an interest in human/civil rights and be able to attend the Commission’s meetings on the third Thursday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Howard County Community Resources Campus, 9820 Patuxent Woods Drive in Columbia.
Applications are available online at www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/County-Administration/Human-Rights/Forms-and-Publications/Student-Commissioner-Application or by calling the Office of Human Rights at 410-313-6430. Completed applications may be submitted either online, emailed to [email protected] or mailed to: Howard County Government, Office of the County Executive, Attn: Kimberly Pruim, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043. Eligible applicants will be interviewed by the current Human Rights Commissioners. The selected candidate will be sent to the County Executive for final approval, who will then submit his appointment to the County Council for confirmation.
The Human Rights Commission was established in 1969 and is comprised of 11 voting members and one non-voting student member, all who must live in Howard County. The Commission’s duties and responsibilities are prescribed by law, and include recommending a civil rights policy to the County Executive and the County Council; the authority to conduct surveys and studies concerning human rights conditions and problems; and the authority to file a complaint when there is reason to believe a pattern or practice of discrimination exists.
In Howard County, it is illegal to discriminate against individuals based on: race, creed, religion, disability, color, sex, national origin, age, occupation, marital status, political opinion, sexual orientation, personal appearance, familial status, source of income or gender identity.
For more information about the Office of Human Rights, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/County-Administration/Human-Rights, the Human Rights Commission at www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/County-Administration/Human-Rights/Boards-and-Commissions, or call the Office at 410-313-6430.